Sentence Reduction vs. Appeal

If you have been arrested on criminal charges and the prosecutor has filed certain criminal charges against you, you have options. You can fight your case and take it to trial. You can also “plea to the charges”.

When you enter a plea, such as plea guilty or plea no contest, your case is essentially over. You can either plea directly to the judge or accept a negotiated sentence with the prosecutor. If you have entered a plea, you have certain options.

You can choose to appeal the sentence the judge gives you within 30 days of being sentenced. You always have this right, but the only basis it can be successfully appealed is if the sentence is “illegal”. The judge almost always will sentence you to a legal sentence.

You can also try to get a sentence reduction. A competent Jacksonville Criminal Attorney can file a motion to reduce your sentence. There has to be a significant change in circumstances for a motion of this type to be granted.